JP4300452B2 - Food processing apparatus and method having circulation system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Background and summary]
The present invention relates to food processing apparatus and methods, including cooking and / or cooling, and more particularly circulation systems and methods.
[0002]
In one aspect, the processing medium is circulated along a circulation path having first and second vertical feed and return segments that flow the processing medium vertically through food processing chambers across horizontally moved food on a horizontal conveyor. A food processing apparatus and method including a circulating system is provided.
[0003]
In another aspect, a food processing apparatus and method for conveying food sequentially and sequentially through multiple modular sections each having its own circulation system that circulates the processing medium along a circulation path having a supply segment and a return segment Is provided. A desirable sequential sequence is provided.
[0004]
[Detailed explanation]
FIG. 1 shows a food processing apparatus 10 that includes a food processing chamber 12 for processing a food product 14 such as a meat product, such as a hot dog, poultry, fish, or other food. One or more horizontal conveyors 16, 18 carry food horizontally through the front of the chamber 12 from the inlet 20 to the outlet 22. One or more circulation systems 24, 26 circulate processing media such as heated air or smoke or cooled air or brine solution or mist, which is incorporated herein by reference. Further references are made to patents 4,583,454 and 5,253,569. The segment 28 is circulated along a circulation path having first and second vertical segments 28 and 30 so that the process medium flows vertically across the food 14 that is moved horizontally through the chamber 12. The supply path segment and segment 30 is the return segment. The working medium flows in the first segment 28 in a first downward vertical direction and in the second segment 30 in a second upward vertical direction, the directions being opposite to each other. The horizontal conveyor belts 16, 18 are of the open mesh type that allows a vertical air flow therethrough. The chamber 12 has an upper wall 32 and a lower wall 34 that are separated by upper and lower portions of one or more horizontal conveyors 16, 18, respectively. The circuit provided by the segments 28, 30 starts and ends with one wall of such walls, preferably the upper wall 32.
[0005]
The segments 28 and 30 are horizontally separated from each other along a direction parallel to the direction of horizontal movement of the food product through the chamber 12. The barrier 36 extends generally vertically into the chamber 12 and has an opening 38 through which the conveyor extends horizontally. Supply channel segment 28 is in front of barrier 36 and return segment 30 is behind barrier 36.
[0006]
Supply channel segment 28 has an inlet 40 and return segment 30 has an outlet 42. The supply path inlet 40 and the return path outlet 42 are horizontally separated by a barrier 36 therebetween. The supply path inlet 40 has a plurality of swing dampers 44 as shown in FIG. 2 swinging around a pivot shaft 46 extending along a direction parallel to the horizontal movement direction of the food 14 passing through the chamber 12. The processing medium enters the supply path segment 28 between the dampers 44 along a channeled flow path 48 that swings back and forth, as shown by the arrow 50 across the food product 14. The channel 48 changes direction during oscillation, and some of those directions are inclined with respect to both horizontal and vertical. The dampers are connected to their respective dampers 51 in any known manner, for example by motor drive cams 45 coupled to the drive link bar 49 by means of link arms 47 and then to their respective dampers 44 at their respective pivot axes. Can be rocked by driving or by some other rocking mechanism.
[0007]
The chamber 12 in FIG. 1 includes a number of module compartments, such as 52, 54, in continuous relationship, and, for example, if the compartment 52 is a heating zone and the compartment 54 is a drying zone, An intermediate compartment such as 56 in between may be included. Each compartment may be provided with its own drain such as 58, 60, 62. The food products 14 are sequentially and continuously conveyed through the compartments. Each compartment has its own circulation system 24, 26 that circulates the processing medium along a circulation path having first and second segments 28, 30 and 64, 66, respectively. One of the segments is a supply segment S and the other of the segments is a return segment R. The compartments 52 and 54 have their R and S sequences reversed with respect to each other, so that the food product 14 passes through the following two compartments in the following sequence R → S → S → R, i.e., sequentially and sequentially. , Then through the supply path segment 28, then through the supply path segment 64, and then through the return segment 64, sequentially forward.
[0008]
Each compartment 52, 54 has an output 72, 74, respectively, that supplies the working medium to the respective supply path segments S28, 64 at a positive pressure, and from the respective return segment R30, 66, the working medium at a negative pressure. Blowers 68 and 70 respectively having inputs 76 and 78 for returning, respectively. The chamber 12 has an illustrated upstream inlet 20 and illustrated downstream outlet 22. The most upstream section 52 is arranged in the R segment 30 upstream of the S segment 28. The most downstream section 54 is arranged in the R segment 66 downstream of the S segment 64.
[0009]
FIG. 3 shows the following continuous sequence R → S → S → R → R → S → S → R, that is, return segment 30 → supply segment 28 → supply segment 84 → return segment 86 → return segment 90 → supply segment 88. → Supply path segment 64 → Return path segment 66 includes four sections 52, 80, 82, 54. The illustrated return segments at the inlet and outlet to the food processing chamber prevent the processing medium from escaping from the chamber, ie, the negative pressure of the return segment tends to hold the processing medium in the chamber. It is desirable.
[0010]
It will be appreciated that various equivalents, alternatives and modifications are possible within the scope of the appended claims.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of a food processing apparatus of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 and showing another embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
10: Food processing apparatus 12: (Food processing) Chamber 14: Food 16, 18: Horizontal conveyor (belt)
20: inlet 22: outlet 24, 26: circulation system 28, 64, 84, 88: (first vertical or supply path) segment 30: 66, 86, 90: (second vertical or return path) segment 32: upper wall 34 : Lower wall 36: Barrier 38: Opening 40: (Supply path) Inlet 42: (Return path) Exit 44: (Oscillating) damper 45: Motor drive cam 46: Pivot shaft 47: Link arm 48: Channel 49: Link Bar 50: Arrow 51: Link 52, 54, 80, 82: (Module) Section 56: Intermediate section 58, 60, 62: Discharge tube 68, 70: Blower 72, 74: Output 76, 78: Input

Claims (3)

A food processing chamber for processing food, a horizontal conveyor for transporting the food horizontally through the chamber , heated air or smoke or cooling along a circulation path having a first vertical segment and a second vertical segment It looks including the circulation system of the working medium is circulating consisting air or mist is,
The so processed medium crosses perpendicularly the food and horizontal conveyors move as horizontally said chamber, one of said segments are supply path segment and the other of said segments Ri return segment der, wherein said The first segment and the second segment are horizontally separated from each other along a direction parallel to a horizontal movement direction of the food through the chamber, and the food moves horizontally forward through the chamber. And
A barrier extending vertically through the chamber and having an opening through which the conveyor extends horizontally;
The first segment is in front of the barrier, the second segment is behind the barrier, the supply channel segment has an inlet, and the return segment has an outlet, the supply channel inlet and The return outlet is horizontally separated by the barrier between them, and the supply path inlet is about a pivot axis extending along a direction parallel to the horizontal direction of movement of the food through the chamber. A plurality of oscillating dampers for oscillating the processing medium so that the processing medium enters the supply path between the dampers along a channeled flow path that oscillates back and forth across the food, The flow path changes direction during rocking, some of which are inclined with respect to both horizontal and vertical,
Food processing equipment. A food processing chamber for processing food having a number of modular compartments in continuous relationship, a horizontal conveyor for transporting the food forward through the chamber by sequentially conveying the food through the compartment Each of the compartments has a circulation system for circulating a working medium consisting of heated air or smoke or cooled air or mist along a circulation path having a first segment and a second segment, respectively. One of the segments is a feed channel segment S, such that the processing medium traverses vertically through the food and the horizontal conveyor moving horizontally through the chamber,
The food processing device according to claim 1, wherein the other is the return segment R,
At least two of the compartments have their R and S arrangements reversed relative to each other so that the food product is sequentially transported forward through the two compartments in the following sequential arrangement R → S → S → R:
Each section has a blower having an output for supplying the working medium to the respective supply path segment S with positive pressure and an input for returning the working medium from the return path segment R with negative pressure;
The chamber has an upstream inlet and a downstream outlet; and
The most upstream of the compartment has its R segment as its S segment so that the R segment of the most upstream of the compartment is located at the inlet and the R segment of the most downstream of the compartment is located at the outlet. And the most downstream one of the compartments has its R segment arranged downstream following its S segment;
Thereby preventing leakage of the working medium from the chamber, i.e. maintaining the working medium in the chamber at the inlet and the outlet by using the negative pressure of the R segment;
Food processing equipment. The food processing apparatus according to claim 2 , comprising the following four sections of the following continuous array: R → S → S → R → R → S → S → R.

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